2.
From the Editor’s Desk
What might an “optimal” design of a preparatory and professional
development programs for mathematics or science teachers look like? More
broadly, what interventions are truly fundamental in efforts to enhance the
quality of teachers of science and mathematics, at all levels? This issue of the
Journal leads off with an interesting report on the work of awardees in one
federally-funded program that has had as its major objective increasing the
number, quality, and diversity of teachers in these two disciplinary fields. The
research reported here comes from the Math and Science Partnership Program
Evaluation (MSP-PE), as supported by the National Science Foundation. We are
pleased to share space for highlighting this most interesting project, particularly
with attention to the “prevalent themes” and “common interventions” thought
to influence teacher quantity, quality and diversity.
Back to back with our lead article—and in part almost a thematic
extension of that article—is a provocative piece that looks more specifically
at the phenomenon of underrepresented minorities in science, technology,
engineering and mathematics. After looking at retention and attrition rates
for underrepresented minorities, authors White, Altschuld and Lee conclude
that cultural factors such as a sense of familial obligation and responsibility
to a larger community may well serve to influence decisions related to staying
in school, dropping out, or switching academic majors. Clearly, if the authors
are correct, efforts to promote diversity among minority students pursuing
majors in science, mathematics, and the applied technologies will need to
take cultural factors into account to the extent that they can be shown to help
shape students’ decisions about their academic careers.
For a change of pace we look next at the school director appointment
process and the structure of time in Mexican and U.S. schools—part of a much
broader international study of first-year principals in Australia, Canada, Great
Britain, Jamaica, South Africa and Turkey. Several issues are examined with
respect to El Escalafon, the process by which school directors are appointed.
Journal of Educational Research & Policy Studies

3.
Based on interviews with half a dozen first-year directors in Sonora, Mexico,
and six Texas principals, Prof. Slater and his colleagues determined that school
directors in both countries struggle with issues involving parental expectations
of their children, relations with teachers and staff, and the structure of the
school day. What emerges is a display of the internal contradictions and cultural
orientation of both educational systems—on the Mexican side, a hierarchical
system allegedly currently breaking down, a system profoundly challenged
by the imposition of a factory model of education ill-suited to the culture in
which it is expected to function.
The authors of our next offering utilized open-ended structured
interviews with the parents of children with disabilities who had enrolled their
offspring in charter schools. The question was why the parents had chosen
this type of school for their children. Staff flexibility, teacher accessibility,
attentiveness and school size were all identified as contributing factors that
favored the charter school over its regular public counterpart.
We conclude with a provocative account of educators’ recollections
of their own experiences as students with grading. Predictably, the author
concludes, as he puts it, “the need for specific training and professional
development for educators … on effective grading practices and policies
seems clear.”
A final thought: readers will have noticed that recent issues of the
Journal have tended to carry more articles about schooling and educational
practice than about policy issues and analysis, as such. Consequently, we
want to reiterate our invitation to readers to submit for editorial consideration
pieces weighted more toward policy analysis and assessment than has been
the case with some of our recent articles.
-- Christopher J. Lucas
Editor
Fall 2006 / Volume 6, Number 2

4.
Representations of Teacher Quality, Quantity, and Diversity in
a National Mathematics and Science Program
Patricia S. Moyer-Packenham, Johnna J. Bolyard, and Hana Oh
George Mason University
Patricia Kridler
Auburn Middle School
Gwenanne Salkind
Fairfax County Public Schools
Abstract
Growing awareness of the importance of teacher quality in mathematics and
science has stimulated a variety of national reports and funded initiatives for
the purpose of improving teaching and learning in K-12 schools. This study
examined the work of awardees in one federally-funded program that included
a focus on increasing the number, quality, and diversity of mathematics
and science teachers. Secondary data sources were used to understand
representations of mathematics and science teacher quality, quantity, and
diversity reported by awardees, and to identify interventions awardees
implemented to influence teacher quality, quantity, and diversity. Results
indicated a primary focus on the development of teacher characteristics such
as subject knowledge, pedagogical knowledge, and instructional practices.
Seven common interventions were implemented across the program to influence
the quality of individual teachers and the quantity and diversity of the teacher
population. Three prevalent themes in the secondary documents included: a)
awardees’ knowledge of and implementation of research-based professional
development practices; b) a shift in emphasis to include specialized subject
knowledge preparation for elementary teachers, in addition to the traditional
emphasis on subject knowledge for middle and high school teachers; and c)
involvement of STEM faculty and Teacher Leaders in various collaborative
relationships, in activities at all levels (K-12) and in both mathematics and

5.
science. Intervention efforts to influence teacher quantity and diversity were
in their initial stages and limited in scope. These findings are discussed with
reference to the impact of the program on the quality, quantity, and diversity
of mathematics and science teachers.
Introduction
Teacher quality in mathematics and science has a significant impact on
the teaching and learning process (Ferrini-Mundy Schmidt, 2005; Hiebert
et al., 2003; Lindquist, 2001; Silver Kenney, 2000). As policy, such as the
No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB, 2002) and research, including
the TIMSS international comparisons of student performance (Hiebert et al.,
2003), converge around mathematics and science issues, it is clear that the
importance of teacher quality in these content-specific areas is of national
significance. Although the quality of mathematics and science teachers has
gained national prominence in policy statements and educational reform efforts
(Conference Board of the Mathematical Sciences, 2001; Council of Scientific
Society Presidents, 2004; National Council of Teachers of Mathematics,
1991, 2005; National Research Council, 1996; National Science Teachers
Association’s, 2002, 2004), understanding the meaning of teacher quality is
a complex issue.
Teacher quality includes not only the characteristics of individual
teachers, but also the characteristics of the teacher population as a whole. When
we refer to improving a teacher’s subject-specific knowledge in a discipline
such as mathematics or science, we are referring to the quality of individual
teachers. When we refer to the examination of teacher turnover or teacher
shortages in subject-specific areas or to the importance of a diverse teaching
force, we are referring to the quality of the teacher population. Teacher quality,
then, is a complex construct encompassing an array of different characteristics
that are not easily defined, assessed, categorized, or measured.
In July 1999, U.S. Secretary of Education Richard Riley announced
the appointment of the National Commission on Mathematics and Science
Teaching for the 21st Century (the Glenn Commission) to investigate the
quality of mathematics and science teaching and examine ways to increase the
number and quality of mathematics and science teachers in K-12 schools. The
resulting report, Before It’s Too Late (National Commission on Mathematics
Journal of Educational Research Policy Studies

6.
3
and Science Teaching for the 21 Century, 2000), highlighted the importance
st
of quality education in mathematics and science to prepare students to be
competitive in an increasingly global society. This focus on teacher quality in
mathematics and science has resulted in several national initiatives funded by
the federal government, under the direction of agencies such as the National
Science Foundation (NSF) and the Department of Education, to initiate Math
and Science Partnership Programs for the purpose of improving mathematics
and science teaching and learning in K-12 schools. The goals of the NSFs
Math and Science Partnership (MSP) Program are stated as follows:
MSP serves students and educators by emphasizing strong
partnerships that tackle local needs and build grassroots support
to:
• Enhance schools’ capacity to provide challenging curricula for
all students and encourage more students to succeed in advanced
courses in mathematics and the sciences;
• Increase the number, quality and diversity of mathematics and
science teachers, especially in underserved areas;
• Engage and support scientists, mathematicians, and engineers
at local universities and local industries to work with K-12
educators and students;
• Contribute to a greater understanding of how students effectively
learn mathematics and science and how teacher preparation and
professional development can be improved; and
• Promote institutional and organizational change in education systems
— from kindergarten through graduate school — to sustain partnerships’
promising practices and policies (National Science Foundation,
2007).
The present study was designed to examine more closely the
implementation of one of these goals; namely, the way in which awardees in
the MSP Program “increase the number, quality and diversity of mathematics
and science teachers…” (item #2). Our investigation focused on three major
constructs: the quality of individual mathematics and science teachers, the
quantity of mathematics and science teachers in the teacher population, and
the diversity of mathematics and science teachers in the teacher population;
and examined these constructs along two dimensions: representations
Fall 2006 / Volume 6, Number 2

7.
4
and interventions. In the sections that follow we review the literature on
teacher quality, quantity, and diversity; present findings based on secondary
source documents provided by MSP Program awardees that illuminate their
representations of teacher quality, quantity, and diversity within their work; and
discuss the interventions identified by awardees to influence quality, quantity,
and diversity specifically for mathematics and science teachers. These findings
lead to a discussion of the implications of awardees’ work on teacher quality,
quantity, and diversity for mathematics and science education.
Research on Teacher Quality, Quantity, and Diversity
To establish a background against which to examine representations
of teacher quality, we used Bolyard and Moyer-Packenham’s (in press)
review identifying six characteristics of mathematics and science teachers
commonly examined for their relationship to student outcomes. These six
commonly used characteristics included: 1) general ability, 2) experience, 3)
pedagogical knowledge, 4) subject knowledge, 5) certification status, and 6)
teacher behaviors, practices, and beliefs. We also used characteristics in the
literature related to the teacher population. These characteristics included:
attrition, migration, and retention (for teacher quantity) (Ingersoll, 2006a;
Ingersoll, 2006b; Johnson, Berg, Donaldson, 2005); and the demographic
composition of the teaching force, the importance of having a diverse teaching
force, and methods and strategies for improving teacher diversity (for teacher
diversity) (Clewell Villegas, 1998; Dandy, 1998; Darling-Hammond,
Dilworth, Bullmaster, 1996; Holloway, 2002; Jorgenson, 2001; Loving
Marshall, 1997; Newby, Swift, Newby, 2000; Shen, Wegenke, Cooley,
2003; Torres, Santos, Peck, Cortes, 2004). Among these characteristics are
variables gathered through assessment measures (i.e., responses to test items
or teaching performance during an observation) and nonassessment measures
(i.e., highest degree obtained or number of years of teaching experience)
(American Statistical Association, 2007).
Teacher Quality: Characteristics of Individual Mathematics and Science
Teachers
Subject knowledge is considered by many to be an important characteristic
of mathematics and science teachers. Research indicates links between teachers’
Journal of Educational Research Policy Studies

8.
5
subject matter preparation and teacher effectiveness (Darling-Hammond,
2000; Darling-Hammond Youngs, 2002; Rice, 2003; Wilson Floden,
2003; Wilson, Floden, Ferrini-Mundy, 2001), with the most consistent
results showing positive links between teachers’ mathematics knowledge
and secondary students’ mathematics achievement (Wilson Floden, 2003).
Goldhaber and Brewer (1997a; 1997b) found that teachers holding bachelor’s
or master’s degrees in mathematics had a statistically-significant positive
relationship to high school students’ mathematics achievement (compared to
teachers without advanced degrees or out-of-subject degrees). In science, they
found holding a bachelor’s degree in science (rather than having no degree
or a BA in another subject) to have a statistically positive relationship with
student achievement (Goldhaber Brewer, 1997a). A later study found similar
positive results for teachers having a mathematics BA or MA on secondary
students’ mathematics achievement, but no significant relationship between
a science degree and secondary students’ science achievement (Goldhaber
Brewer, 2000). Studies of the relationship between the number of courses
taken in the subject and student achievement have found generally positive
results for mathematics (Chaney, 1995; Monk, 1994). In science, results are
generally positive but depend upon the area of science studied (e.g., physical,
earth, or life sciences) (Chaney, 1995; Druva Anderson, 1983; Monk
King, 1994).
Studies of mathematics and science teachers’ pedagogical knowledge
have reported positive effects of education training on teachers’ knowledge
and practices (for example, see Adams Krockover, 1997; Gess-Newsome
Lederman, 1993; Valli Agostinelli, 1993). Studies examining the relationship
between degrees in education as a measure of teachers’ pedagogical knowledge
and student outcomes have been mixed. At the secondary level, studies indicate
that coursework taken in subject-specific pedagogy is positively related to
secondary students’ achievement, particularly in mathematics (Chaney, 1995;
Monk, 1994). Wilson and Floden (2003) note that much of the research focuses
on teacher education programs rather than specific courses or experiences.
Research also examines the relationship between teachers’ behaviors,
practices, and beliefs and student outcomes. Peterson, Fennema, Carpenter,
and Loef (1989) found a significant relationship between first-grade teachers’
pedagogical content beliefs about addition and subtraction and student
achievement. In science, the use of hands-on laboratories (Burkam, Lee,
Fall 2006 / Volume 6, Number 2

10.
7
was not particularly strong. Other studies examining the relationship between
teacher experience and student achievement have reported mixed or no results
(Ferguson Ladd, 1996; Hill, Rowan, Ball, 2005; Rowan, Correnti,
Miller, 2002).
General ability refers to teachers’ general intellectual academic and
verbal abilities, often including evidence of language and mathematical
proficiency. Studies generally report a positive relationship between measures
of teachers’ general and verbal abilities and their effectiveness (Ehrenberg
Brewer, 1994; Ferguson, 1991; Ferguson Ladd 1996; Greenwald, Hedges,
Laine, 1996; Hanushek, 1971; Strauss Sawyer 1986). Other studies
indicate mixed or negative results (Ehrenberg Brewer, 1995; Guyton
Farokhi, 1987; Hanushek, 1992; Murnane Phillips, 1981).
Teacher Quantity: Turnover and Retention of Mathematics and Science
Teachers
The entry and exit of teachers into and out of the profession has been
characterized as a “revolving door.” Ingersoll (2001) argues that this situation
is not a result of shortages of teachers or teacher retirements, but rather teacher
turnover, defined as departure of teachers from their teaching jobs. Statistics
indicate that the current teaching force will lose almost half of its professionals
in the next few years and one in five new teachers will not remain in teaching
long enough to reach their fourth year (Johnson Birkeland, 2003).
Two important elements of teacher turnover are teacher attrition (leaving
the profession) and teacher migration (moving from one school to another)
(Johnson et al., 2005). When schools report a shortage of mathematics and
science teachers, they are often referring to both of these elements. Over time,
research has shown that about 15 percent of America’s 3 million teachers
leave their schools or leave teaching each year, and after 5 years, 46 percent
of teachers leave the teaching profession (Ingersoll, 2006a; 2006b). These
numbers are even more startling for new teachers, who leave at a rate of almost
50 percent after four years, and for teachers in small, urban, poor schools,
where the turnover rates are 26 percent each year.
Schools searching for mathematics and science teachers already
know how difficult it is to find replacements with annual turnover rates
for mathematics and science teachers at about 16 percent and 15 percent
respectively, compared to 9 percent for social studies and 12 percent for
Fall 2006 / Volume 6, Number 2

11.
8
English (Ingersoll, 2006b). A closer examination of turnover for mathematics
and science teachers shows that reasons for leaving teaching include pursuing
other jobs (28%) and retiring (11%). While 40 percent of mathematics and
science teachers who leave do so because of dissatisfaction, only 29 percent
of all teachers in the general population report leaving teaching because of
dissatisfaction. For mathematics and science teachers, dissatisfaction most
frequently includes poor salary, poor administrative support, poor student
motivation, and student discipline problems (Ingersoll, 2006a). Recruiting
more and more teachers will not address these problems. Schools must design
induction and retention plans that take into account school working conditions
if they want their mathematics and science teachers to stay in teaching.
Research on teacher induction shows that when a first-year teacher
has a full induction experience (including collaboration with a mentor in the
same subject field, teacher networking and beginners seminars with other new
teachers, reducing new teachers’ course preparations, providing a teacher’s
aide, face time with school administrators, regularly scheduled common
planning and release time for the mentor and new teacher to observe and
analyze teaching), there is a statistically significant impact on the retention
of that teacher (Smith Ingersoll, 2004). Unfortunately only one percent of
new teachers receive this type of comprehensive support (Smith Ingersoll,
2004).
High teacher turnover in mathematics and science has many costs.
Research shows that teacher turnover increases the variation in student
outcomes across grades and cohorts in a school, with differences in
mathematics achievement significantly related to teacher turnover (Rivkin
et al., 2005). Unfortunately for students, the highest turnover rates are in the
poorest schools where mathematics and science teachers are needed most
(Neild, Useem, Travers, Lesnick, 2003). There are also financial costs to
schools in recruiting, hiring, induction, and professional development (Texas
Center for Educational Research, 2000). A 2000 study found that schools in
Texas spend over $329 million dollars each year as a result of a 15.5 percent
teacher turnover rate. Other estimates report that, across the Nation, $2.6
billion is lost annually because of teacher turnover (Alliance for Excellent
Education, 2004).
Journal of Educational Research Policy Studies

12.
Diversity of the Teaching Force
The student population in America’s schools is increasing in diversity in
terms of race and ethnicity; however, the diversity of the teacher population
has not followed this trend (Dandy, 1998; Newby et al., 2000; Shen et al.,
2003; Torres et al., 2004). Data from a nationally representative sample of
public school teachers indicates that schools have made slight increases in the
racial and ethnic diversity of the teaching force in the years between 1987-
1988 and 1999-2000; however, during this time, the number of male teachers
decreased (Shen et al., 2003). Although there are increases in the numbers of
diverse teachers in the new teacher population, retention of new teachers could
prevent these gains from impacting the diversity of the teaching population
over time (Darling-Hammond et al., 1996; Kirby, Berends, Naftel, 1999;
Shen et al., 2003).
Barriers to increasing diversity in the teaching force include too few
minority students prepared for post-secondary education as a result of
inadequate K-12 education, small numbers of minority students enrolling
in teacher education programs, and financial and economic considerations
(Clewell Villegas, 1998). Another barrier cited is competency testing (either
as part of the requirements for a teacher education program or for licensure)
for which research indicates higher failure rates for minority students than for
White students (Darling-Hammond et al., 1996; Kirby et al., 1999; Latham,
Gitomer, Zimonek, 1999). While there is some evidence to indicate that
testing requirements negatively impact the diversity of the teaching force, there
is also evidence that they are not the source of the problem, as the majority
(81%) of the overall population of teacher candidates taking the tests is white
(Latham et al., 1999).
The importance of a diverse teaching force. The importance of increasing
the diversity of the teaching force is described as necessary in order to reduce
gaps in achievement between white and nonwhite students (Darling-Hammond
et al., 1996). Arguments focus on the need and importance of role models and
teachers who can relate to students’ backgrounds and experiences (Loving
Marshall, 1997; Riley, 1998). The pedagogical benefits of a diverse teaching
force include the advantages teachers of color may have in successfully
building relationships and relating to students from minority groups by using
their personal experiences to connect with learners (Clewell Villegas,
1998; Darling-Hammond et al., 1996). There are a limited number of large-
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10
scale studies on the relationship between same-race teachers and minority
(and general) student achievement (Torres et al., 2004). Results indicate
mixed evidence for a direct correlation between teacher diversity and student
academic performance (Ehrenberg, Goldhaber, Brewer, 1995).
Strategies that impact teacher diversity. There are several recommendations
to improve minority teacher recruitment and retention. These include:
improving the K-12 educational experiences of minority students; early
identification of potential future teachers; recruitment of teacher education
candidates at the community and junior college levels; implementation of
programs that support minority teacher candidates throughout the education,
initial certification, and induction processes (including mentoring programs);
recruitment of candidates from non-traditional populations (second-careers
or paraeducators); and recruitment of candidates from liberal arts majors
and undergraduates having no declared major (Clewell Villegas, 1998;
Darling-Hammond et al., 1996; Holloway, 2002; Jorgenson, 2001; Loving
Marshall, 1997; Newby et al., 2000). Early identification programs expose
qualified high school or middle school students to teaching through cadet or
tutoring programs. These efforts raise awareness of and interest in teaching
as a profession and support and encourage students to prepare for and enter
the profession (Loving Marshall, 1997; Newby et al., 2000). Programs
designed to encourage para-educators to become teachers have been found to
play a role in diversifying the teaching force (Haselkorn Fideler, 1996), and
there is evidence that these programs have higher retention rates than many
traditional teacher education programs (Dandy, 1998; Haselkorn Fideler,
1996).
Other studies indicate that alternative certification programs may serve
as a source for recruiting minority teachers (Kirby et al., 1999; Shen, 1998).
Findings of one study indicate that alternatively-certified teachers are more
likely to be female, be teaching in elementary schools, and express less desire
to continue teaching in the long term (Shen, 1998). Therefore, while alternative
certification might contribute to diversity in terms of race and ethnicity, it
does not in terms of gender (Shen, 1998). Shen (1998) further found that
while alternatively certified teachers are more likely to teach mathematics
and science, alternatively certified minority teachers are less likely to hold a
bachelor’s in mathematics, science, or engineering than alternatively certified
white teachers.
Journal of Educational Research Policy Studies

14.
As our review of the research on teacher quality, quantity, and diversity
indicates, several characteristics of individual teachers and of the teacher
population are influential in the relationships between mathematics and science
teachers and the students they teach. The purpose of the present study was
to examine data from the National Science Foundation’s Math and Science
Partnership (NSF-MSP) Program in an effort to determine how awardees
in the program represented characteristics of teacher quality, quantity, and
diversity, and what interventions awardees implemented to influence those
characteristics within their awards. The following research questions guided
this analysis: a) What are representations of mathematics and science teacher
quality, quantity, and diversity among awardees in the MSP Program? and
b) What interventions do awardees implement to influence teacher quality,
quantity, and diversity characteristics within their awards?
Methods
Data Sources
The data sources in this study came from funded partnerships in the
National Science Foundation’s Math and Science Partnership (NSF-MSP)
Program awarded between FY2002 and FY2004. The NSF describes the
following four components of the MSP Program:
• Comprehensive Partnerships implement change across the K-12
continuum in mathematics, science, or both.
• Targeted Partnerships focus on improved student achievement in a
narrower grade range or disciplinary focus in mathematics and/or
science.
• Institute Partnerships develop mathematics and science teachers as
school- and district-based intellectual leaders and master teachers.
• Research, Evaluation, and Technical Assistance (RETA) activities assist
partnership awardees in the implementation and evaluation of their work
(National Science Foundation, 2007).
The present study examined data from 48 awards in three of these categories,
including: 12 Comprehensive Partnerships, 28 Targeted Partnerships, and 8
Institute Partnerships. RETA awards were not included in the analysis due to
the nature and scope of their work in “assisting” the other award categories.
Fall 2006 / Volume 6, Number 2

15.
Each partnership was required to address the quality of the mathematics
and science teaching force and to document its progress towards the teacher
quality goals and benchmarks it established. Awardees submitted Annual and
Evaluation Reports describing this progress, and posted papers, presentations,
and webpages in electronic media forms. These secondary documents were
the primary source of data for the analysis. In the present analysis, researchers
reviewed 132 Annual and Evaluation Reports provided to the NSF, with the
length of each report ranging from 15 to 707 pages. These reports, along with
awardees websites, published papers, and presentations, were the secondary
source documents for the analysis. Data reviewed for this paper were obtained
from documents available to researchers between January 2005 and February
2006.
Procedures
The examination was conducted using qualitative methods for a document
analysis of secondary data sources (Miles Huberman, 1994; Patton, 1990)
and was used to identify awardees’ narrative descriptions of characteristics
and interventions influencing mathematics and science teacher quality,
quantity, and diversity (Bogdan Biklen, 1998). The methods of analysis
employed both a content analysis, using a categorical system for organizing the
information (Fraenkel Wallen, 1993), and a concept analysis, to understand
the meaning and usage of terms (McMillan Wergin, 2002). The unit of
analysis was the individual award. Because of the complex nature of awardees’
reports, the research team used hand coding (rather than electronic software)
to better preserve the context and content of the information contained in the
reports. A team of six readers conducted the analysis, and 30 percent of the
documents were read by two different readers to ensure reliability. Awardees’
reports to the NSF were available to researchers in an electronic format that
was password protected. Project websites, publications, and conference papers
were generally available through internet access.
Three-Phase Analysis
Researchers analyzed data sources in three phases. During the first phase,
researchers identified broad themes to guide the initial reading of the reports,
based on reviews of the literature. Additional themes and sub-themes emerged
during the readings. During this phase, researchers read through reports in
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16.
13
their entirety and searched awardees’ websites, publications, and conference
presentations for supporting information. Readers used an analytic protocol
to code information and write summaries. The protocol included a table for
documenting the presence of themes, a section for writing detailed summaries,
and a reference section to record page numbers and appendices from which
the information was extracted so researchers could return to the documents
to review information in its original context. Researchers met weekly to cross
check themes and compare coded categories.
There were several challenges in organizing the large volume of report
data: some awardees included extensive information about activities in
comparison with other awardees that included little information; information
was scattered in numerous places throughout reports, which required extensive
reading to connect common themes; and, information was sometimes presented
in a way that was unclear to a reader outside the award, using terms such as “the
faculty,” “the teachers,” or “the school,” without specifically identifying the
faculty, teachers, or school to which the description was referring. Researchers
cross-referenced different sources to piece together information.
During the second phase of the analysis, two Ph.D.-level researchers
read and coded all of the written summaries, using open and axial coding to
examine themes and define categories (Strauss Corbin, 1998). The main
purpose of axial coding was to gain a better understanding of the categories
by identifying properties and dimensions around their “axis.” Researchers
focused on an individual theme, such as Teacher Leadership, and read all of the
written summaries on that theme using a constant comparative method (Strauss,
1987). During this process, researchers determined major categories and sub-
categories, wrote descriptions of the categories, and extracted examples from
the reports.
During the third phase of the analysis, researchers used the categories in
a key-word search process through the reports for the purpose of categorical
aggregation (Stake, 1995). Using the search tool on Adobe Acrobat Reader,
researchers used a variety of key words to conduct exhaustive searches for
information on the properties of the categories. By the end of the third phase,
researchers created documents with lists of examples from awardees’ reports
for each category related to teacher quality, quantity, and diversity, and
compiled a list of frequencies across the 48 awards.
In an effort to synthesize the narrative results for presentation, researchers
developed a categorical organization framework for ease of comparing the
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prominence of major themes among the representations and interventions
identified by awardees. This framework uses the following categories:
Category 3 (C3) = representations and interventions discussed and identified
by 70 - 100% of the 48 awardees; Category 2 (C2) = identified by 40 - 69%
of the 48 awardees; Category 1 (C1) = identified by 10 - 39% of the 48
awardees; and Category 0 (C0) = identified by 0 - 9% of the 48 awardees. These
categories were determined by grouping the frequencies of representations
and interventions, and first removing the bottom 0 - 9% (or 0 to 4 awards)
in each grouping. When occurrences were reported in 0 - 9% of the awards,
these occurrences were determined to be a rare or unique activity among the
awards in the program (C0). The next sets of occurrences were sectioned
into thirds. In the lowest third of occurrences were those items that were
reported in 10 - 39% of the awards (or 5 - 18 awards, C1). In the middle third
of occurrences were those items that were reported in 40 - 69% of the awards
(or 19 - 33 awards, C2). In the top third of occurrences were those items that
were reported most frequently across the awards in the program by 70 - 100%
of awards (or 34 - 48 awards, C3). These categories were assigned to give
the reader a sense of the portion of awards reporting each theme across the
entire MSP Program. Throughout the results, this categorization is used to
identify the most common representations and interventions of teacher quality,
quantity, and diversity that are part of the work of the awardees in the MSP
Program.
Results
Researchers identified a variety of major themes of teacher quality that
centered on characteristics of individual teachers, characteristics of the teacher
population, and interventions reported as influences on teacher characteristics.
The framework in Figure 1 represents a general organization of these themes
from the reports. All of the 48 awards provided descriptive information on
increasing the quality of individual mathematics and science teachers and on
increasing teacher quantity. Fewer awards provided descriptive information
on increasing teacher diversity.
The results are organized around two major themes that address
our research questions: 1) what awardees identify as representations of
mathematics and science teacher quality, quantity, and diversity, and 2)
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15
interventions awardees implement to influence teacher characteristics. The first
section of the results reports representations of teacher quality, quantity, and
diversity identified by awardees. The second section discusses interventions
awardees implemented to influence teacher characteristics. Examples from
awardees’ documents are presented to provide a context for the themes. The
categories (i.e., C3, C2, C1, and C0) shown in parentheses are used as a way
to group and identify the frequency of given representations and interventions.
These themes, along with their examples, provide insights into the substance
of awardees’ work in the MSP Program.
Figure 1
Major Themes in Awardees’ Documents
REPRESENTATIONS
of Teacher Quality
Individual Characteristics Population Characteristics
Subject Knowledge Quantity (numbers of teachers)
Pedagogical Knowledge Diversity (race/ethnicity)
Behaviors/Practices/Beliefs
INTERVENTIONS
Influencing Teacher Quality Characteristics
Inservice Training/Prof. Development Preservice Training
Teacher Leadership Linking Teachers with STEM Faculty
Recruiting Stipends/Compensation
Induction
Representations
Awardees described various representations of teacher quality, quantity,
and diversity. Representations of the quality of individual teachers frequently
described by awardees included: subject knowledge, pedagogical knowledge,
and behaviors, practices, and beliefs. Representations of the quantity and
diversity of teachers included: numbers of teachers and race/ethnicity,
respectively. These results are summarized in Table 1.
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Essentially these representations were a way for awardees to operationalize
teacher quality characteristics within their award activities. Subject knowledge
(C3), pedagogical knowledge (C3), and behaviors, practices, and beliefs
(C3) were identified most frequently among awardees as characteristics of
individual teacher quality. Awardees use of representations for teachers’
subject knowledge, pedagogical knowledge, and behaviors, practices, and
beliefs was consistent with the research literature on characteristics of teacher
quality. A lesser number of awardees discussed teacher experience (C2) and
general ability (C1) as a representation of teacher quality. This is a divergence
from the research literature where teacher experience and general ability are
frequently used as representations of teacher quality.
We further unpacked subject knowledge, pedagogical knowledge, and
behaviors, practices, and beliefs to determine what represented these constructs
for awardees. In terms of subject knowledge, the most common representation
was a score on a test of mathematics or science subject knowledge (C2). Tests
included standardized tests, tests developed by awardees themselves, or tests
developed by Research Evaluation and Technical Assistance (RETA) awards
in the MSP Program. Another common representation of a teachers’ subject
knowledge was the teacher’s subject preparation, including subject-specific
certification, degrees, and courses taken in mathematics or science content
(C2).
In terms of pedagogical knowledge, the representations reported by
awardees differed from subject knowledge in type and frequency. The most
frequently-used representations of pedagogical knowledge reported by
awardees were responses on surveys, observations of teaching, and teachers’
certification or degree (all designated as C2). Surveys and observations
documented teachers’ knowledge of state and national standards, use of
standards-based curricula, and use of reform-oriented teaching methods and
materials. Unlike subject knowledge, where scores on tests were a frequently
used representation of teacher knowledge (C2), scores on tests were one of
the least likely representations of pedagogical knowledge (C0). A discussion
of the specific instruments used by awardees to assess teacher knowledge is
presented in another publication of the MSP Program Evaluation (MSP-PE)
(Moyer-Packenham, Bolyard, Kitsantas, Oh, in press).
The most common representations of mathematics and science teachers’
behaviors, practices and beliefs were responses on a survey and behavioral
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observations (both C2). Surveys and observation protocols were designed
to document changes in teachers’ beliefs and classroom practices. Other
representations of teachers’ behaviors, practices, and beliefs that were
described with less frequency included responses to interview questions and
written documents (both C1).
Representations that characterized teacher quantity. All of the awards
reported some form of information on teacher quantity. Awardees represented
teacher quantity in three main sub-categories: MSP Award Quantity, University-
Level Quantity, and School-Level Quantity. MSP Award Quantity included
data collected on participants in MSP Award activities; University-Level
Quantity included data collected on participants involved in courses and
programs of a participating university; and School-Level Quantity included
data collected on participants from the participating schools. In the sub-
category, MSP Award Quantity, most awardees collected data on the number of
teachers participating in award activities (C3). Other data in this sub-category
tracked numbers of hours or days of training completed by teachers (C2), and
numbers of teachers continuing in MSP activities from year to year (C1). The
sub-category University-Level Quantity was represented by the number of
preservice enrollments in university programs (C2) and the number of teachers
completing university programs (C1), where the university programs were
part of the activities of the award. In the sub-category School-Level Quantity,
the most common representation was numerical and descriptive information
about the mobility of teachers in schools where those teachers were also award
participants (C2). Awardees described teachers and district contacts retiring,
teachers leaving or being laid off from the school system, and the termination
of school positions. With less frequency, awardees described the retention of
teachers in participating MSP schools (C1) and numbers of MSP participants
hired by school systems (C1).
Representations that characterized teacher diversity. While teacher
diversity (i.e., race/ethnicity) was discussed frequently in award documents,
many of these included general statements such as, “teacher diversity is one
of the project’s key features” or “increasing diversity is an important goal.”
Awardees reported a desire for increasing the number of minority students
in teacher training programs or increasing minority hires in school districts;
however, some reports lacked detailed information on how the award would
document an increase in the diversity of its participating teachers. Of the
awards that did provide this information, many were tracking demographic
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data that focused on changes in the diversity of the mathematics and science
teachers participating in the award (C2). Some awards discussed increases
in the number of minorities recruited to award activities (C1) and minority
students receiving scholarships (C1) as representations of increases in teacher
diversity. Information on gender appeared in few reports (C0).
Interventions
Awardees discussed a variety of interventions designed to influence
teacher characteristics within their partnerships. Some interventions influenced
one area (quality, quantity, or diversity) more than another, but to some degree
the interventions impacted multiple areas and characteristics. The most
common interventions reported by awardees are grouped by the frequency
with which they appeared in awardees’ documents and presented in Table 2.
These interventions include: Inservice Training/Professional Development
(C3), Preservice Training (C3), Teacher Leadership (C3), Recruiting (C3),
Linking STEM Faculty with Teachers (C2), Stipends/Compensation (C2),
and Induction (C1). The following sections further unpack the most common
interventions by providing examples from awardees’ activities.
Interventions focusing on the quality of inservice and preservice teacher
training. Inservice Training/Professional Development (PD) for individual
teachers was discussed in all of the awards. These interventions included
courses, workshops, institutes, and other teacher training activities, including
those leading to certification and degrees in mathematics and science. New
certification programs for teachers were reported in a number of awards (C2),
most commonly as a way to develop certification and endorsement options
to meet the “highly qualified” status or to obtain an add-on certificate or
endorsement in addition to teacher licensure. For example, one certification
program for elementary teachers included five mathematics content courses
that were specially designed to increase subject knowledge. Other certification
options for inservice teachers included a summer certification in secondary
mathematics and National Board Certification. Most certification efforts
focused on ensuring that those teaching mathematics and science were certified
to teach those subjects. Many of these inservice training and professional
development interventions were paired with teacher leadership.
All awardees described some form of teacher leadership in their
documents (C3). Additionally, teacher leadership was described in all grade
bands (elementary, middle, secondary), in both mathematics and science,
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were constructed as part of the award’s activities. The largest responsibility of
teacher leaders described by awardees was to provide professional development
for inservice teacher training (C3). The professional development delivered
by teacher leaders included using teacher networks and professional learning
communities (PLCs), peer observations and feedback, peer coaching, peer
support structures, and study groups (C2). To a lesser extent, teacher leaders
engaged in curriculum work, helped to set and achieve school and MSP
goals, and performed administrative tasks (all designated as C1). Training for
leaders was reported in many awards (C3), with the most common attributes
of leadership training being the development of the teacher leaders’ subject
knowledge, leadership skills, dispositions, and pedagogical strategies (all
designated as C2).
Most of the inservice teacher training/professional development (PD)
focused on developing teachers’ knowledge in terms of content and pedagogy
(C3). Efforts to improve or increase teachers’ subject and pedagogical
knowledge were commonly described as intertwined, with awardees using
terminology such as pedagogical content knowledge (Shulman, 1986) and
mathematical knowledge for teaching (Ball, 1991). A focus on subject
knowledge is traditionally emphasized for high school teachers; however,
awardees in this program emphasized subject knowledge for teachers at all
grade levels.
Other PD activities included a variety of elements. Awardees frequently
described the use of curriculum materials (C3) in their PD activities, including
FOSS kits, Developing Mathematical Ideas (DMI), Great Explorations in
Math and Science (GEMS), and standards-based NSF-funded curriculum
materials. The use of inquiry science during PD activities was reported often
(C2). Other PD work focused on assessment, such as developing various
methods of student assessment, developing test items, and interpreting test
item data (C2). PD seminars focused on analyzing students’ thinking using
student products and videotaped episodes of students working (C2). Awardees
incorporated the use of mathematics and science standards documents (C2)
in an effort to understand the contents of the standards documents and align
standards with instruction. They also used technology and mathematics tools
(including manipulatives) (C2).
In addition to the teacher quality interventions focused on inservice
teachers, there were also teacher quality interventions focused on preservice
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teachers (C2), with the most common of these focusing on the development
of new courses and new programs for preservice teachers that would lead
to certification and degrees. Awardees created subject-focused preparation
programs in mathematics and science at various levels throughout K-12, and
alternative certification programs for mathematics and science majors. New
course offerings specifically focused on increasing preservice teachers’ subject
knowledge (C1) (e.g., courses such as Linear Algebra, Cells and Molecules,
and Discrete Probability and Statistics). Other awardees described revising
student teaching programs and internships (C1).
Many preservice and inservice teacher quality interventions linked faculty
in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM)
with K-12 teachers (C2). STEM faculty were identified as the providers and
designers of multiple inservice and preservice teacher development activities
among the awards, including those that were mathematics and science focused,
those that focused on preservice recruitment, and those that were focused at
the elementary, middle and high school levels (C2). (For a complete discussion
of STEM faculty engagement, see Moyer et al., 2007). STEM faculty worked
with education faculty, teachers, and teacher leaders to design, revise, and teach
courses for teacher education programs, summer workshops, and in-service
teacher programs in mathematics and science (C2). STEM faculty also served
in management roles (such as directing project activities) or leadership roles
(such as directing the development of a new course or course sequence for
mathematics and science teachers) (C2). In some awards, STEM faculty served
in advisory or “expert” roles, including attending professional development
sessions to provide on-site support, participating in study groups, or being
available for online discussions and mentoring (C1). The increased presence
of STEM faculty in was reported as a means for increasing teachers’ subject
knowledge.
Interventions focusing on teacher quantity and diversity. All awardees
reported recruiting as the most common intervention for influencing teacher
quantity and diversity (C3). Some awardees’ recruiting plans included a focus
on diverse students with scholarship offers to minority students entering
teacher training programs and other support structures to promote minority
enrollment in programs leading to mathematics and science teaching careers
(C1). STEM faculty involvement was common in the recruiting activities
for preservice teachers (C2). As discussed previously, many awards utilized
teacher leadership in their interventions. In addition to working to support

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the professional development of inservice teachers, teacher leaders also
impacted teacher quantity and diversity. By serving as mentor and master
teachers they were part of the recruiting and induction process for bringing
new mathematics and science teachers into the profession, including those
from minority populations, thereby influencing the quantity of new teachers
and the diversity of the teaching force.
Other recruiting activities to increase the numbers of mathematics and
science teachers included providing school-based experiences matching
recruits with exemplary teachers (C1); developing recruiting tools, documents,
recruitment videos, brochures, and information sessions about careers in
teaching (C1); attracting university STEM students into teaching programs
(C1); designing mentoring programs for high school students to recruit
them into teaching (C1); engaging high school and university students in
mathematics and science activities with younger students to promote interest
in teaching as a career (C1); and forming after-school science and future
teacher clubs in high schools (C1).
The most frequently-reported representation of teacher quantity was
the number of teachers participating in award activities; therefore, stipends
and compensation were viewed as an intervention to potentially increase
participation and, thereby, increase teacher quantity for the award (C2). The
types of stipends and compensation reported by awardees to increase teacher
participation included: stipends for participating in inservice training and
PD activities (C2), stipends for serving in new leadership roles (C1), tuition
waivers or reimbursements for university courses (C1), and classroom sets of
materials including mathematics manipulatives, science equipment, laptops
and calculators (C1).
Teacher induction was described as an intervention to influence teacher
quantity and diversity, but with less frequency than the other interventions
previously discussed (C1). Induction activities were described as formal and
informal events ranging in duration. Common induction experiences were
described as on-site PD, new teacher workshops, and Saturday seminars (C1).
Some induction experiences were provided by teacher coaches, through study
groups, or as online mentoring, including one-to-one mentoring, as well as
group induction activities for mathematics and science teachers (C1).
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Limitations
One of the benefits of examining an entire group of awards for themes is
also a limitation. While researchers gained valuable insights about the entire
portfolio of awards, detailed descriptions of individual awards could not be
highlighted. Because researchers believed that insights from the portfolio of
awards may bring to the fore the value of the program as a whole, we chose
this method of broad examination. Each award has its own evaluation in place
and these individual evaluations may bring to light unique characteristics of
the individual awards. Because this analysis provides a view of the awards as
one entity, major shifts in teacher quality, quantity, and diversity work across
the awards can be identified.
The descriptive and narrative nature of awardees’ documents was a
limiting factor in the analysis. Self-report documents prepared by awardees
may not provide a complete and accurate account of the full scope or impact of
awardees’ activities. In some cases the use of terms was unclear, or a reference
to a particular group or activity was incomplete. However, researchers in the
present study believed that awardees had some choice in what to include in
their documents. These selections were indicative of what awardees found of
most importance to their work. The self-selection of information to include in
the reports and the sections of the reports where information was expanded
upon or limited were important data in and of themselves. While certain aspects
of reporting were required across the program, there was still great latitude in
the level of description awardees were required and permitted to submit as a
report, as evidenced by the range in the length of their reports.
Discussion
These results provide a broad view of the work of awardees in a major
mathematics and science program focused on influencing teacher quality
characteristics. The findings illustrate how awardees represent teacher quality
characteristics in their work and what interventions they report as influences
on those characteristics. Several key findings emerge from our analyses.
Improving Individual Teacher Quality
Characteristics of individual teachers, in particular subject and pedagogical
knowledge, are discussed extensively in the documents. Awardees’ language
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on teacher knowledge emphasizes the importance of subject knowledge,
and this emphasis is similar to recent policy and professional organization
statements, as well as research (Darling-Hammond, 2000; Ferguson
Womack, 1993; Goldhaber Brewer, 1997a; Monk, 1994; Wilson Floden,
2003). In addition, there is an evident shift across this program of awards to
place increased emphasis on the development of subject knowledge, not just
for middle and high school teachers, but also for elementary school teachers,
as evidenced by the course and program development for inservice teachers
at the elementary level. This knowledge is specialized to the work of teachers
at this level (Ball, 1991). While certification for elementary teachers does not
currently require additional mathematics and science coursework, the emphasis
in this portfolio of awards could indicate a future trend in the preparation and
professional development of elementary teachers targeted toward specialized
knowledge for teaching mathematics and science. In addition, the prominence
of subject preparation at all levels among the awards places renewed emphasis
on the importance of middle school teachers having strong preparation in
mathematics and science content.
While much of the pure research in the general domain of teacher
quality uses characteristics such as years of experience, general ability, and
certification status as representations of teacher quality, awardees in the present
study were more likely to focus on teachers’ subject knowledge, pedagogical
knowledge, and behaviors, practices, and beliefs. In the context of this awards
program, these results are not surprising. The awards are funded based on a set
of project-specific goals and plans for demonstrating and assessing progress
towards those goals. It makes sense that awardees would focus on subject
matter knowledge, pedagogical knowledge, and behaviors, practices and
belief, because these are characteristics of teachers over which awardees’ work
may have some influence. Teacher quality is a complex construct. Awardees’
use of multiple representations and interventions reveals their awareness of
the complexity inherent in influencing these constructs. An awareness of this
complexity also makes them better able to focus on documenting teacher
growth as it relates to teachers’ participation in the activities of the award.
The findings show that awardees have adopted research-based practices in
the design of professional development experiences (Loucks-Horsley, Hewson,
Love, Stiles, 1998). For example, a large-scale empirical comparison on
the effects of characteristics of professional development on teacher learning
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found significant positive effects on three core features: focusing on content
knowledge, promoting active learning, and fostering coherence with other
learning activities (Garet, Porter, Desimone, Birman, Yoon, 2001). The study
also found that structural features, including type of activity, duration of the
activity, and collective participation, significantly affect teacher learning. In
the present study, awardees demonstrate a strong emphasis on mathematics and
science subject preparation and PD that contains active learning. Coherence
and collective participation were fostered by using teacher learning networks
in the same subject areas, grade levels, and schools. These characteristics
indicated that awardees were knowledgeable about the types of interventions
that have been shown to be effective in influencing growth in mathematics
and science teachers.
Improving Teacher Quantity and Diversity
Tracking the quantity and diversity of the teachers engaged in these
awards is documented at multiple levels across the program. While these
data are a constantly moving target for awardees, most were able to report
participation and demographic data on their teacher participants. In terms
of influencing teacher quantity, some of the most commonly reported data
were the numbers of participants recruited to the award and its activities. The
research on teacher quantity indicates that teacher turnover is a primary reason
that additional mathematics and science teachers are needed each year to fill
vacancies in K-12 schools (Ingersoll, 2006a; 2006b). For this reason, awardees
could place additional emphasis on induction, mentoring, and retention efforts
for mathematics and science teachers so that these individuals remain in the
teaching profession.
While some of the factors that cause mathematics and science teachers
to leave the profession are out of the control of the awards (i.e., salaries,
administrative support, student behavior, and student motivation) (Ingersoll,
2006a), there are a variety of retention strategies that can be implemented to
offset these negative influences. One important reason for awardees to focus
on retention efforts that influence the quantity of mathematics and science
teachers is that support structures that are put into place now have the potential
to last beyond the life of the award. These support structures could influence
the retention of mathematics and science teachers in a school or a district long
after the award funding ends. In addition, there are many potential findings that
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could emerge by viewing the collective efforts of these awards to influence
mathematics and science teacher quantity. Across the program of awards,
potential studies could examine retention efforts that are particularly effective
under applied conditions, providing additional evidence on ways of retaining
mathematics and science teachers.
As with teacher quantity, influencing teacher diversity involves changing
population characteristics rather than characteristics of individual teachers, and
changing population characteristics takes time. Research on teacher diversity
indicate a number of strategies for increasing the diversity of the teaching force
over time. Some of these include: improving K-12 education for minority
students, early identification, targeted recruiting, and support through various
stages of teacher education (i.e., initial certification, induction, on-going
professional development) (Clewell Villegas, 1998; Darling-Hammond
et al., 1996; Holloway, 2002; Jorgenson, 2001; Loving Marshall, 1997;
Newby et al., 2000). The most common efforts directed toward improving
teacher diversity among these awards involved recruiting minority candidates
and implementing support structures for minority candidates. However, these
activities were reported by a lesser number of awards (C1, 10 - 39% of awards).
While some awardees have selected research-based implementation strategies
for influencing teacher diversity, wide-spread use of these strategies was not
evident in the documents reviewed during this analysis.
Promising Interventions
The involvement of STEM faculty and Teacher Leaders was evident
throughout the portfolio of awards, across subject areas and grade levels, and
among preservice and inservice teacher development activities. The results
showed STEM faculty most commonly involved as course instructors, program
designers, and content experts, which capitalizes on the type of work STEM
faculty do at the university, and in some cases, pulls them out of the university
environment and into K-12 schools. For some this was unfamiliar territory,
and STEM faculty struggled to identify where they “fit in.” In addition,
traditional university reward structures for STEM faculty often hinder their
involvement in mathematics and science education work. However, as STEM
faculty and educators worked through the design of the award’s activities, they
gained a better understanding of each other’s work. A discussion by Hyman
Bass in the Bulletin of the American Mathematical Society describes the long
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tradition of contributions of noted research mathematicians to mathematics
education work (Bass, 2005). He highlights the importance of mathematicians
developing an understanding of the work of K-12 mathematics so that they can
see ways that their own mathematical knowledge can contribute to solutions
for mathematics education problems. As evidenced by these awards, many
STEM and education faculty across the country are currently working together
to improve mathematics and science education.
As the awards end, it will be interesting to examine how the collaborative
relationships formed among STEM faculty, education faculty, and K-12
education will influence their future collaborative work in K-12 mathematics
and science education. The MSP Program awards provided opportunities for
university faculty and K-12 educators to understand each others’ professions,
pedagogy, and language. Continuing initiatives have the potential to build
upon the work stated during the award. In particular, the mathematics and
science teacher turnover challenges faced by the field of education are also
faced in STEM fields in terms of those earning STEM degrees. Recent reports
show that the proportion of students earning degrees in STEM fields has also
declined, and that factors contributing to this decline include sub par teacher
quality at the high school and college levels and poor high school preparation,
among others (Ashby, 2006). These are interrelated challenges that face both
STEM and education faculty, providing a common goal in the improvement
of mathematics and science teaching at all levels K-16.
The findings suggest that awardees view teacher leadership as an
important element in their intervention efforts for improving teacher quality,
quantity, and diversity. While teacher leadership is a construct that has been
examined in the literature for several decades (Hatch, White, Faigenbaum,
2005; Rowan, 1990; Smylie, 1994), recently, there has been increased interest
in teacher leadership, including broader views of the construct, and its effects
on teaching and learning (Spillane, Halverson, Diamond, 2001; York-Barr
Duke, 2004). Much of the existing literature on teacher leadership focuses on
formal roles of leadership, characteristics of teacher leaders, and conditions that
facilitate teacher leadership development; less research focuses on the effects
of teacher leadership, particularly on other teachers and students (Smylie,
1995; York-Barr Duke, 2004). The purposes of teacher leadership models
in the literature include incentives to retain, reward, and motivate teachers;
a means of improving teaching and learning by providing opportunities for
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teacher development, growth, and collaboration; and a means of utilizing
organizational resources in order to support and sustain reform efforts (Mijus
Harris, 2003; Smylie, 1995, 1996; Webb, Neumann, Jones, 2004; York-Barr
Duke, 2004). These were common elements in the descriptions of leadership
activities of the awardees. An underlying assumption among awardees’ was
that teacher leadership was a vehicle for influencing teacher quality, quantity,
and diversity in a systematic way. For example, when a science teacher leader
with subject specific skills mentors a new minority science teacher, the teacher
leader has the potential to influence the new teacher’s subject and pedagogical
knowledge (influencing teacher quality), and to mentor and support the new
minority teacher through the first few difficult years of teaching (influencing
teacher quantity and diversity).
Most of the existing research on the effects of teacher leadership has
focused on the effects on teacher leaders themselves (York- Barr Duke,
2004). Evidence of the effects of teacher leadership outside the individual
leader is more unclear. An important element for future research on teacher
leadership is a focus on how leadership influences teachers and students at the
classroom or “micro level” (Coggins, Stoddard, Cutler, 2003). The awards
in the present study are in a unique position to contribute to this research.
With many awards engaged in teacher leadership work, and many different
leadership configurations among the awards, there is much opportunity for
research that has been absent from the literature. The impact of mathematics
and science teacher leaders on the quality, quantity, and diversity of teachers
is certainly worthy of further study, and awardees in this program are in the
position to conduct this potentially meaningful research.
Conclusion
Several important insights have emerged from this examination. Among
the awards there is a renewed emphasis on the importance of subject preparation
for mathematics and science teachers, and in particular, a shift in emphasis to
include specialized subject knowledge preparation for elementary teachers.
This shift may have future effects on the design of preparation and professional
development programs for teachers at the elementary level. Awardees in this
program focus on the growth of teachers in terms of those characteristics
over which they have influence, and at the same time they recognize the
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complexity of influencing and documenting teacher change. The findings
from their own research has the potential to inform educational research on
effective practices for documenting teacher growth in applied settings. Efforts
to influence teacher quantity and diversity are only in their initial stages
for many awards, as these are population characteristics and changing the
characteristics of a population takes time. The influence of Teacher Leaders
and STEM faculty is prominent throughout the awards, as they are engaged
in activities at all levels (K-12) and in both subject areas (mathematics and
science). The foundation of collaboration developed during the activities of
the awards, among university faculty and K-12 education, has the potential
to continue to influence K-12 mathematics and science education for years to
come. Through their work these awards have made gains toward improving
the quality, quantity, and diversity of the mathematics and science teaching
force. The value of these efforts will be revealed as awardees document and
disseminate new knowledge from their initiatives and experiences.
***
This research is part of the Math and Science Partnership Program
Evaluation (MSP-PE), supported by Contract No. 0456995 from the National
Science Foundation. The MSP-PE is led by COSMOS Corporation, with
Robert K. Yin of COSMOS serving as Principal Investigator (PI) and Jennifer
Scherer serving as one of three Co-Principal Investigators. Additional Co-
Principal Investigators and their collaborating institutions (including discipline
departments and mathematics centers) are Patricia Moyer-Packenham of
George Mason University and Kenneth Wong of Brown University. Other
collaborating institutions include Vanderbilt University and The McKenzie
Group. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed
in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views
of the National Science Foundation.
Journal of Educational Research Policy Studies